Springboks’ rotation policy paying off as Jones explains secret behind squad depth

The Springboks were praised by the French media for building depth in their squad over the past few years – and the ability to field “a whole different team from one week to the other” – with assistant coach Felix Jones revealing it was borne out of a desire to give everyone a fair crack at the jersey.

The Boks are gearing up to face Six Nations champions France at the Stade de France on Saturday, and ahead of the clash, Jones was quizzed on South Africa’s rotation policy that has become the envy of the rugby world.

“We just feel currently we have a way of doing things which is keeping the players engaged, keeping them competitive,” Jones said at a media conference on Monday.

"Obviously, there is disappointment in not being selected but keeping them producing their own performances, producing assistance for the guys who are in the team, who are in the 23."

“The word ‘dropped’ is genuinely not in our thinking. It’s more of a rotation and trying to give everyone a fair crack to show what they can do for South Africa, and the byproduct of that is we obviously end up building a little bit of depth because we can get caps into guys.

“But the season is long – for the URC, for the European Cup, for the international season. There are obviously so many games, so it’s difficult for one player to play 15, 14, 13 Tests all season now when the games are so physical that rotation is needed. So that’s the thinking.”

Bok hooker Johan Grobbelaar has been one of the beneficiaries of this rotation policy and feels it’s necessary to ensure the national team doesn’t stagnate.

“You need to keep on building your squad, giving young guys opportunities; otherwise, it will reach a point where there are just some experienced guys and you’re left with a gap with too many young guys,” he said.

“It’s great to be rotated for me as a young guy coming in to get some more caps, so looking forward to the next few weeks.”

The Bulls forward picked up the last of his three Bok caps against Wales in November 2024 and is excited about the prospect of possibly being selected to face France this weekend.

“It would be a massive opportunity for me to play this weekend, and since I don’t have a lot of Test caps, it will be one of my biggest games yet,” said Grobbelaar.

“This is my first time in Paris, and to be here with players of this quality helps, obviously. I think it’s going to be a massive battle and I’m looking forward to it.”